The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-11-17

Governor Oglesby was waited upon dur
ing Thursday by the families and relatives
Of the prisoners.
Perhaps no man has ever been placed in
30 difficult and unenviabe a position.
With the eyes of the whole world upon him
be was called upe~A for a conscien-
stious disposition of the fate of the men so
near eternity. 1t called for courage of the
highest order Whichever way he decided it
would bring censure. Therefore smust do
right, as to him it really seemed, and come
what may, hanRelieved y his duty to with
THE MESSAGE. =
Following is the full text Of - = r.
decision:
spR,Scr1ELp. ill., NOV 10, 1851.
On the Goth day of August, 1886, in the
Cook county criminal court, August Spies,
Albert r. Parsons, Samuel Fielden, Michel
Schwab, Adolph Fischer, George Engel and
Louis Lingg were found guilty by the ver-
dict of the jury and afterward sentencs3to
DO hanged for the murd Get Mntpl -.
began. An appeal was ken from such
finding and sentence to the supreme court OF
the state That court, upon final hearing
and after mature elaboration, unanimously
affirmed the Judgment of the court below.
The case now comes before me by petition
of the defendants for consideration, as Gov
ernor of the state If the letters of Albert
Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel and
Louis Lingg demanding unconditional re
lease, or, as they express it, Liberty or
death" and protesting in the strongest Ian
guage against mercy or Communication Of SEN
tence pronounced against them can be CON
sidered petitions, pardon, could it be granted
which might imply any guilt whatever upon
the part of either of them would not be such
vindication as the demand Executive in
convention uron the grounds insisted upon
by the four above named persons could in no
proper sense be deemed an exercise of the
constitutional power to grant reprieves, COM
mutations and pardons, unless based upon the
belief on my part of their entire innocence
of the crime Of which they stand convicted.
A careful consideration of the evidence in
the record Of the trial Of the parties has
failed to produce upon my mind any impress
sion tending to impeach the verdict of the
jury or the Judgment of the trial court, or of
the supreme court affirming the guilt of all
these parties. Satisfied, therefore, as am,
of their guilt, am precluded from consider
ing the question of Communication of the SEN
fences of Albert R. Parsons, Adolph Fischer,
George Engel and Louis Lingg to imprison-
ment in the penitentiary, as they emphat-
ically declare they will not accept such COM
mutation.
Samuel Fielden, Michel Schwab and
August Spies unite in petition for executive
clemency. Fielden and Schwab, in addition,
present separate and supplementary petitions
for the communication Of their sentences.
While, as l said above, i am satisfied of the
guilt of all the parties, as found by the jury,
which was sustained by the judgments of the
courts, a most careful consideration of the
whole subject leads me to the conclusion that
the sentence Of the law as to Samuel Fielden
and Michel Schwab may be modified as to
each of them in the interest Of humanity and
without doing violence to public justice.
And as to the said Samuel Fielder and
Michel Schwab, the sentence is committed to
Imprisonment in the penitentiary for life.
As to all the other above named defendants
do not feel justified in interfering with the
sentence of the court While / would gladly
have come to different conclusion in regard
to the sentence of defendants, August Spies,
Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Albert R.
that, under the solemn sense of the obliga-
lions of my office, have been unable to do
so. RICHARD j. OGLEsBY, Governor.
The following is copy of the instrument
officially committing the sentences of Fielden
and Schwab:
Richard J. Oglesby, Governor of Illinois,
to the Sheriff of Cook County-Greeting:
Whereas, Samuel Fielden and Michel
Schwab were convicted at the June term,
A. ID. 1856, OF the criminal court OF COOK
county, of the crime of murder, and were
sentenced to be hanged; and
Whereas, it has been presented to me by
divers good citizens Of said county that said
Samuel Fielden and Michel Schwab are fit
and proper subjects for executive clemency;
Now, know We that /, Richard ]. Oglesby,
Governor of Illinois, by authority in me
vested by the constitution of this state, do
by these presents commute the sentence of
Alx@a IN.n1L L. al Sy,xr nt
to imprisonment in the penitentiary for life.
In testimony whereof hereto set my hand,
and cause to be affixed the great seal Of
state.
Done at the city of Springfield this tenth
day of November, in the year Of our Lord
1887, and of the independence Of the United
States the 112th
CSigned) r. J. OGLEsBY, Governor.
(Signed) HENRY D. DEMENT,,
Secretary of State.